Jojo Zhou talks about this year being The Year of the Pig in Chinese zodiac.
The Year of the Earth Pig will be a good year for Kiwis to make money, according to feng shui master Jojo Zhou.
Chinese New Year starts on February 5, but month long festivities in Auckland will kick off this Saturday, until the celebrations draw to a close with thelantern festival.
"The power of fortune star Wu Qu will be enhanced this year, which means there will be sufficient financial resources and new opportunities," Zhou said.
"It will be a good year to make money, and starting a new business and financial investment is encouraged."
Cai Shen Ye, the Chinese God of Fortune, prepares to jump from the Sky Tower in Auckland. Photo / File
The pig is a symbol of wealth in Chinese culture and is the last of the 12 zodiac animals in Chinese astrology.
The Chinese lunar calendar is based on a 12-year cycle with each year being assigned an animal: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
According to Zhou, this would be a bountiful year for those working in the finance, jewellery, telecommunications, car and other industries attributed to the "metal" element.
Performance of the stock market will be good, and predicts it will be better in the first half of the year.
Zhou said the coming year is also a good for those seeking to purchase property, but it's important that buyers look for houses with good feng shui for better appreciation of value.
This would be a prosperous year for those with the Chinese zodiac signs of the dog, rooster, monkey, snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger, ox and rat.
Overall, it's a good year to change careers, Zhou said, and March and June will be a good time for singles to start new relationships.
However, she warned of a strong presence of the "greedy wolf star" this year which increases greed, selfishness and aggressiveness in people.
"It is important to learn how to control our desires this year or it could lead to relationships breaking up and the loss of money," Zhou added.
Lion dancing at SkyCity. Photo / File
Generally, those born under the pig sign will enjoy a smooth and auspicious year.
Pig people are said to have a calm, compassionate and a goal-oriented personality - but they are also gullible.
People whose birth years are 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995 and 2007 are considered as born under the sign.
Hillary Clinton, Elton John, Simon Cowell and the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso are some of the famous people born under the pig sign.
Lion dances, cultural performances and fireworks will kick off the Auckland celebrations at Lunar Fest 2019 on Saturday at the Trusts Arena in Henderson.
Then on February 2, the Chinese New Year Festival and Market Day will be held at the ASB Showgrounds.
The God of Fortune will be doing his annual jump from the SkyTower on Chinese New Year, February 5 - which will be followed by firecrackers, lion and dragon dancing, and Chinese performances.
For the first time, Auckland will have a Chinese New Year street festival and new year night markets on February 8 at Federal St just outside SkyCity.
Lantern Festival at the Auckland Domain. Photo / File
In Auckland, the four-day Auckland Lantern Festival from February 14 to 17, the city's largest cultural event, will bring the celebrations to a close.
About 200,000 people attend the event each year at the Auckland Domain, which features hundreds of Chinese lanterns, local and international performances, art and craft and Asian street food.
Chinese New Year celebrations in NZ
• Lunar Fest 2019, The Trusts Arena, Henderson, Auckland. Saturday January 19, 3-11pm
